Get your home ready for winter

As we move deep into fall, now is a good time to make sure you're keeping up with key home maintenance items that can help your home run smoothly, efficiently and safely -- things that may have been neglected during the summer months in favor of afternoons by the pool.

These tips come to us via Elizabeth Dodson, co-founder of HomeZada, a cloud-based home improvement and organizational software tool.

Clean out your clothes dryer vents

Your dryer has a duct connected to the back of it that typically vents up vertically through the roof. This duct gets lint stuck inside that builds up over time. The lint is flammable and can cause house fires (32 percent of dryer fires are caused by a failure to clean, according to the National Fire Protection Association). Removing the lint from your dryer vent will also create an efficient working dryer as air can move more freely through the duct and vents.

Clean out your gutters to avoid trouble later

With snow and heavy fall rain on their way, you will want to clear your gutters so runoff will move through the gutters seamlessly, rather than overflowing and potentially damaging parts of your house or landscape. Clogged gutters can cause water leaks under the eaves and down the exterior walls, which can lead to mold. Water in gutters can also freeze and cause ice dams, which can also cause overall damage to your gutters.

Flush or drain your hot water heater

Flushing your hot water heater is necessary to remove sediment from the tray. If this sediment builds up, the hot water heater will not be functioning and a cold shower will prevail as the weather gets chillier. Additionally, flushing a hot water heater reduces the risk of causing damage to the tank and piping of the hot water heater. Your hot water heater will last longer if proper care is done annually.

Clean or check your fireplaces

Making sure your fireplaces are ready for winter is a safe tip, but also an efficient tip. Using gas or a standard fireplace or wood stove creates heat efficiently throughout your home. If you have a standard fireplace, make sure you get a professional to sweep and clean the chimney as the soot could be flammable. Also, test to make sure your damper is working properly. If your damper gets stuck, you risk smoke being trapped in your fireplace and then making its way into your home causing other damage to your house and health.

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Get your home ready for winter